Piper Hill High School, Manchester
Piper Hill High School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Manchester, part of Prospere Learning Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Piper Hill High School in detail
Piper Hill High School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Our aim is to work in partnership with yourselves and other agencies to provide the very best education and outcomes for your child. We ensure that through this partnership each pupil will achieve their potential and make outstanding progress. At Piper Hill, every child matters and our relationship with yourselves and working in partnership is of paramount importance to us."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Piper Hill High School are Bowersgate School (1 mile); Southern Cross School (1.2 miles); Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School (1.3 miles, Outstanding); and Oakbrook School (1.6 miles).
Bowersgate SchoolSouthern Cross SchoolAshgate Specialist Support Primary SchoolOakbrook School
The trust
Piper Hill High School is one of 11 schools run by Prospere Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 34 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
63.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 35.8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (40%), Asian (21%) and Black (13%).
Almost every pupil at Piper Hill High School has an education, health and care plan (285 of 285 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Piper Hill High School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Martinscroft (Manchester Metrolink), about 710 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Paul's High School (in), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Piper Hill High School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Piper Hill High School issued 1 suspension, 0.4 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from March 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its March 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
63.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Piper Hill High School
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Piper Hill High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Piper Hill High School is in Manchester; for families living there:
Apply to Manchester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 24
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 16 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
119%
Over capacity
285 pupils
240 places
45 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Manchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Manchester
Across Manchester council
Places available
7,220
Applications
6,542
Got 1st preference
77.1%
Got preferred school
94.7%
All secondary applications across Manchester council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
285
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Piper Hill High School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
285
Total Pupils
205
Boys
80
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
44
Teachers
6.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,682
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.1%
Overall absence
34.6%
Persistent absence
185
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Piper Hill High School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Piper Hill High School
What is Piper Hill High School's Ofsted rating?
Piper Hill High School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Piper Hill High School?
No fixed boundary. When Piper Hill High School is oversubscribed, Manchester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Piper Hill High School?
Piper Hill High School has around 285 pupils on roll. 64% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Piper Hill High School have specialist SEN provision?
Piper Hill High School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Piper Hill High School?
12.1% of sessions were missed at Piper Hill High School in 2024/25. 34.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Piper Hill High School?
Apply through Manchester's coordinated admissions process, naming Piper Hill High School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Piper Hill High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 16 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Piper Hill High School?
Piper Hill High School is at Firbank Road, Newall Green, Manchester, M23 2YS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)